Healthwatch - Our focussed work on GP services in Brighton and Hove
We have produced a report summarising the key areas of investigation undertaken by Healthwatch over the last 5 years in respect of GP services> read this below
Healthwatch is consistently monitoring feedback on GP services.
Where concerns arise, issues are escalated with providers, commissioners, the Care Quality Commission and Healthwatch England.
We have a strong partnership with Commissioning and public engagement leads within our local Integrated Care System with whom we can raise concerns or queries to ensure that insight is taken into account and helps to shape current services and planning for the future.
We also ensure that patients are listened to and kept informed of developments relating to GP services which may affect them.
Our report summarises what has changed in the GP landscape since 2018 and how Healthwatch Brighton and Hove has been involved.
Key areas of investigation undertaken by Healthwatch over the last 5 years have included:
- Providing help and guidance to members of the public who contact our volunteer-led helpline: concerns or issues with GP services are the third main reason why people contact Healthwatch Brighton and Hove (see page 6).
- Collating the experiences and preferences of the public towards remote appointments (alternatives to traditional face-to-face appointments). This work conducted in 2020 and 2023 was led by Head of Research, Lester Coleman, and has been shared with NHS Sussex who said “We welcome the insight from this Healthwatch report and will make sure it informs the work we have planned for this year, and how further improvements can be delivered.” (see page 7).
- Supporting patients to escalate their concerns over practice closure, merger or reduced services and helping them to overturn decisions, working with NHS Sussex colleagues. Our most recent work, led by Project Co-Ordinator Michelle Kay, resulted in a national ‘Highly Commended’ Award from Healthwatch England (see page 9).
- ‘Mystery Shopping’ by our volunteers of practice websites and ‘Out-of-Hours’ phone messaging to assess the quality of information and signposting provided to patients and the public (see page 12).
- Conducting reviews of all GP practices in the city using our Enter and View powers. Led by Michelle Kay, we published in-depth reports in 2018 and 2019. As part of this work, we have routinely highlighted the reduced number of practices in our city and increased patient volumes, but also highlighted positive user experience and made recommendations designed to bring about an enhanced patient experience (see pages 12 and 13).
- Supporting our Health and Care system to promote changes and developments to GP practice and primary care during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as future plans. Increasing access to and reducing variability in primary care is an immediate priority for our Integrated Care System – to help more people get appointments at their GP practice as quickly as possible. See Section E for details of how our system is rising to the challenge.
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Our focussed work on GP services in Brighton and Hove
